Michael Elliott, the Liverpool-born editor of Time International, has moved up the masthead of the news magazine to become its second in charge.

Mr Elliott will become number two to the managing editor, Rick Stengel, the magazine's top editorial executive, who edits the US edition.

Mr Stengel told staff that Mr Elliott will remain editor of the magazine's international editions but take a greater role in its commercial division and strategy.

"In recognition of the importance of this new job and his own accomplishments, Michael will move to a line just below me on the masthead," Mr Stengel said in an email to staff.

"Being the international editor is a full-time job for even the most energetic of people, but over the last year, Michael has essentially been doing it while also serving as a trusted deputy to me here," he added.

"The role of the international editions, as part of Time, has become more important than ever. It's a critical area for growth, and that's in large part because of Michael's stellar performance.

"In his new role, Michael will assume more responsibilities on the business side and plot out a strategy for taking Time to a new level internationally."

As part of the changes, Romesh Ratnesar, who started as an intern at the magazine, has been promoted to deputy managing editor.

Mr Elliott was a lecturer at the London School of Economics but became a journalist at the behest of Andrew Knight, who persuaded him to join the Economist. He spent a decade at the Economist, before moving to Newsweek in 1993.

He edited Newsweek International for five years until 2000 before switching to Time.

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